Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Crosstown part 2-Houston, Prince, 3rd

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Before I forget, I'm gonna try and dump all I know about the crosstown streets that run consecutive green lights. Just beware, that these will only most likely make a fast trip even faster. Smaller streets no matter how good the traffic light pattern is, may not be such a good idea during peak traffic as a general rule.
Houston Street-
is always the best street for a crosstown trip, if you're near by.
  • Going west-          (Ave's ABCD and FDR, to 1st Ave)
From Houston to 1st Avenue you can take the small offshoot 1st Street right after Avenue A, very good route when you're empty. When the light turns green at 1st Avenue and 1st Street make the right at 1st Avenue, All the lights on 1st Avenue stay green!!
  • Go east and west early-
Your customers will probably appreciate you taking Houston Street across town, it is better than almost every street from 1st through 64th. Houston Street is the primary choice for crosstown with all other magical crosstown streets from 1 to 64 at best only second.
  • Going east-           (Varick/7th Ave, east to Houston)
Gil has talked about this, From Bleeker street if you catch Macdougal while the light is still green, you can hang the right here, then hang the left on Houston, smooth sailing eastwards on Houston Street!!! If Bleeker appears to be really bad on your approach to it from 7th Ave/Varick Street, usually that's a Saturday or Sunday with tour buses and New Jersey people, you might want to go to Carmine and right on Bleeker, but still you're going to get jammed. Gil's big recommendation here is to go all the way to King Street, make the left there, than another left at 6th Avenue, and a right at Houston!!! It is always the best way, but I'm afraid to take my passengers that way for fear they may feel taken the long way. Ask them if it is acceptable before you try it, and sell the route, tell them it's wayy faster. Again, it's Varick to King to 6th Ave, to Houston. But if there is no traffic, take Bleeker to MacDougal, to Houston, best traffic light flow.

Prince Street-
In the absolute still of nighttime, take Prince from Laffayette to 6th Avenue. If there is no car in front of you and you drive fast you'll only be stopped at West Broadway or Sullivan Street. If you catch the intersection of Prince and 6th Avenue right when the light turns green, you might make it up 6th Ave on the remaining seconds of each green light. It's a tough balance, try to push it with the acceleration, but watch the sides of prince street, and at the corner of Prince and 6th I wouldn't be surprised if the cops are watching. My general rule is to slow down at intersections, but here I'd make a smooth slower turn, but not too slow, only to floor it when the car straightens out.

3rd Street-
I love 3rd Street, it only goes to 6th Avenue, don't take it during the bar rush, it's all kinds of messed up then. But do take it any other time.
  • From 1st ave-
making the left on 3rd street, you'd be stopped at 2nd Ave, but progress should be made well. The aim hopefully is to be stopped only once or twice from there. The light pattern is slow, so drive slower on 3rd, no rush.
Hopefully this is clear, I really need to put all the streets on a map, and code them with colors for their rates of green lights. Until then, hopefully this is alright.

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